The Folk Project Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series presents Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn and Spencer LaJoye

Deni Bonet is a dynamic, classically trained violinist who would rather strut around a stage than sit in an orchestra chair. Her style ranges from pop to roots-rock to new folk. She has recorded with Pete Seeger and was a founding member of the house band for National Public Radio’s “Mountain Stage,” where she backed renowned artists as diverse as the Indigo Girls, Richard Thompson, and Allen Toussaint. But Bonet also has performed at the White House and the Great Wall of China, and toured in Cyndi Lauper’s backup band. The Wall Street Journal once described her singular sound as “Sheryl Crow meets The B-52s.” Her musical partner, guitarist Chris Flynn, has accompanied Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ronnie Spector, Garland Jeffreys, Willie Nile, and numerous other notable performers, and he has performed in top venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Spencer LaJoye is making queer indie folk music for everyone. They are a coast-to-coast singer/songwriter and vocal loop artist with Midwest roots, a classically-trained violinist with an inner theater kid’s love of group choreography, and a student of Americana music with a theology degree hanging in their studio. The 2021 Kerrville Songwriting Competition winner and 2024 Songwriter Serenade winner has been writing and touring their autobiographical folk songs for over a decade, but their viral 2021 anthem “Plowshare Prayer” secured them a permanent place in hearts and households across the world, as well as a peculiar career as a veracious songsmith with an unshakeable pastoral presence. Charming and banter-heavy, Spencer’s performances keep audiences laughing one moment and weeping the next.